"Clearance granted." Bonnie allowed herself a small grin. At least Dr. Marcus' medical records weren't classified over Devon's authority. The older man sat down next to her and skimmed the summery. "Good Lord." Devon breathed. Bonnie felt her spirits plummet. She glanced at Devon and both read the each other's expression. Bonnie had confessed to Devon, that she couldn't help Kitt without outside help – mainly the help of an individual who had originally written the program for the Knight Two Thousand. After all these years, there was only one person left – and that one person was Dr. Thomas Marcus -their final hope. The report before the two long time co-workers and friends spoke its dire truth in the final diagnosis –Alzheimer's disease. The man might be alive, but would he still remember the delicate information that was needed to help Kitt?
Michael glanced up from the computer. These days he had taken over some of the paperwork off of Devon's back. Both of them were getting on in years, but Michael was not yet ready to transfer the torch of agent (and partnership with Kitt) over to another person. He saw Bonnie in the doorway and didn't like the look on her face. She was holding a computer pad and was keeping one eye on it, no doubt monitoring Kitt. Michael had heard about the incident in the garage and had immediately tried to go over there only to find the door of the garage firmly locked. There had been a barely readable note on it –written in Bonnie's hurried handwriting stating plainly "Danger –off-limits to all!" He had gotten through to her on the intercom, only to be told to wait and she'd get in touch. In the old days Michael wouldn't have stood for it and would probably have found a way in, but time had taught him not to mess with Bonnie. Now, looking at her, he was afraid of what he was going to find out.
"Let me get this straight. Kitt has to be reprogrammed from the top down, you think this "sub-program-rewriting thing" is a bug of some kind in the original programming that hasn't shown up until after all these years and the only person that possibly knows anything about it, might not remember ever even typing the word Kitt?" Bonnie only nodded. "Michael, I came into this project, when the main code –Kitt's core- had already been written. I have the blueprints –yes, but I can't just turn back the time! This isn't some Windows based operating system that I can 'take back to an earlier recovery point'! If I do that, the very essence that is Kitt could be lost. I can back up the memory files, but think about it! We wouldn't be upgrading Kitt, we'd be DOWN-grading him to what he was years ago." Michael thought about it for a while. "And you have to take him to Georgia?" Then he quickly corrected himself. "Of course you do, the guy's almost 90-years-old, in a wheelchair and not taking calls. Okay, I'll make the arrangements. Knight Air-1 will be ready within the hour and so will I." Bonnie closed her eyes. "Thanks, Michael. I'm going to go and try connecting with Kitt long enough to explain things to him."
There were files –at least he thought they were programs…what was a program?…his internal encyclopaedia wasn't working- just out of his reach. He thought there was a line –a line?…what line?…a clothing line?…a fishing line?…a straight line?… a thick line?…words, just words- No! A line to the outside, away from this darkness and insecurity! Kitt followed the line, forgetting all else. A link to the outside, a link to familiarity, to sanity. "k.i.t.t. r.e.s.p.o.n.d. p-c.a.l.l. . i.n.i.t.i.a.t.e." Kitt regained a moment of clarity. One of the first communication protocols he had learned had just been requested. He would be asked questions and he would send back a 0 for a no and a 1 for a yes. Kitt allowed a moment of relief, he was able to focus.
Bonnie: "p-c.a.l.l. 0/1 'Do you know who I am?"
Kitt: "p-c.a.l.l. =0" –should I?
Bonnie: "p-c.a.l.l. 0/1 'Can you feel mainframe connection?"
Kitt: "p-c.a.l.l. =0" –what is a mainframe?
Bonnie: "p-c.a.l.l. 0/1 'We need to leave here, get you help, future commands will follow, don't resist, copy?"
Kitt: "p-c.a.l.l. =1" –leave where, where is here?
Bonnie: "p-c.a.l.l. ="Don't worry, you'll be fine."
Kitt: - I will?...what fine...how much...
Bonnie: "end p-c.a.l. "
The lifeline was cut and Kitt's world went dark again. Stand-by mode however did not initiate, he could not rest and he was left in the dark, no sounds, no input, deaf, alone...
Bonnie closed the laptop with shaking hands. In those brief moments, she had gotten a brief but revealing look at just how bad Kitt's program was messed up. He didn't know who she was, didn't seem to understand much. The semi rumbled towards the airport and she glanced at the black car in front of her. She had debated with herself about disconnecting the AI totally from the car, but had decided against it. Kitt had always hated that feeling and Bonnie didn't want to upset the AI anymore. She had taken all the precautions: transmission and engine had been manually disabled –completely - as had the microjam. She was sure the Kitt wasn't coherent enough to really try anything, but that just made him all the more unpredictable. She just didn't want him trying to burst through the hull of the aircraft or microjam its controls.
The semi's airbrakes hissed as it stopped next to the jet-black stealth-type aircraft. It was Knight Industries' latest purchase and it seemed to almost reflect the stars. Using a winch, Kitt was gently hauled inside the aircraft. Devon, Michael and Bonnie followed. In ten minutes the plane was taxing for take-off. The plane was fast, but cross-country was still a ways off.